The trains meander and roar, heading nowhere, but part of a magical wonderland of model trains, trolleys and miniature New York City landmarks. Those replicas happen to be made of all natural materials.
Jennifer Bernstein, president and CEO of the New York Botanical Garden, said:
The garden’s holiday train show is back. It features 25 trains and trolleys, and more than 190 replicas of New York’s famous skyscrapers, ballparks, and bridges, including the brand-new George Washington Bridge.
What you need to know
- The New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show is on display at the Haupt Conservatory through January 16th.
- It features 25 model trains and 190 replicas of New York City landmarks made from plants.
- It takes about a month to set up the show in the conservatory
- NYBG Glow is also back for its third year. This is New York’s largest outdoor holiday light experience.
There are also historic mansions, transportation hubs like Grand Central Terminal and Old Penn Station, and Coney Island landmarks like the Wonder Wheel. Even the Haupt Conservatory, the garden landmark that hosts the show, gets the replica treatment.
It’s all made by the Kentucky-based team at Applied Imagination. It takes about a month to set up a large show in the conservatory.
“The entire Applied Imagination and NYBG crew came on board and made the magic happen during the month,” says Bernstein.
New this season are interpretive signs that inform visitors about the plants used to create the replicas. NYBG Glow is also in his third year, complementing the train show and offering the chance to see the gardens and its buildings lit up.
According to the Botanical Gardens, this is the city’s largest outdoor holiday light experience.
“This year we have expanded to include food and drink at the Bronx Night Market,” said Bernstein.
The train show runs until January 16th.
For show and NYBG Glow ticket information, please visit https://www.nybg.org/.